MEPs urge WHO to take Taiwan seriously

MEPs say the WHO must consider Taiwan´s membership bid if the organisation is be taken "seriously".

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Dutch deputy Jules Maaten said the Geneva-based organisation "has to come to terms" with Taiwan´s long-running efforts to join the WHO.

"It has to do this in order to be seen not merely as a politicised organisation but one which, truly, deals with global health issues," said Maaten, a member of the ALDE group.

"Otherwise, how can it be taken seriously?"

Maaten, a member of parliament´s environment and public health committee and delegation four southeast Asian countries, was speaking at a seminar which he described as an "important initiative" in highlighting Taiwan´s absence from the WHO.

His comments were echoed by UK Tory MEP Charles Tannock, who said the continued exclusion of Taiwan from the WHO is the result of "totally unjustified and counter-productive heavy-handed tactics" by China.

Tannock, his party´s foreign affairs spokesman, called for Taiwan to be admitted as a full member of the body, saying Beijing was pursuing a "vigorous" campaign within the UN and its agencies to prevent Taiwan's aspirations for membership despite Taiwan being for decades a de facto independent state and now a flourishing democracy.

Tannock also said the west was culpable as it was prepared to "acquiesce to the economic might" of China in the face of pressure.

He said Beijing should respond to the conciliatory approach of the recently elected Taiwanese pesident Ma by "making a gesture in this Olympic year" to ease tensions, such as enabling Taiwan to join the WHO. He added that as long as PRC citizen (Margaret Chan) remained director general of the WHO, Taiwan's exclusion was unlikely to change.

 Tannock said, "Sadly Taiwan's situation with regard to the WHO is the same as its situation in the UN as a whole.

 "It is ironic and shameful that we are so ready to welcome Kosovo as an independent state, that we are up in arms over Tibet but we remain silent about Taiwan.

 "Keeping Taiwan out of the WHO makes no sense at all.

 "Political boundaries are irrelevant when it comes to disease. Taiwan has a vital role to play regionally in dealing with the bird flu threat in the same way that it dealt successfully with SARS.

 "Taiwan also has vast potential to make its highly developed technological expertise and pharmaceutical research available to poorer countries.

The event, organised to mark this week´s 60th anniversary of the WHO, drew a wide range of participants who examined the role and responsibilities of the WHO and debated common concerns on global health.

Speakers included Professor Roland Lemye, of the Standing Committee of European Doctors, who said, "The WHO is supposed to promote world health but, because of Chinese opposition, regularly thwarts Taiwan´s ambitions of joining the organisation."

He questioned, in particular, the ability of China to fulfil its commitment, under current WHO rules, to "cover" Taiwan´s health needs from its own territory.

He said, "China has, in fact, proved to be a poor, if not false, collaborator for the WHO in this respect.

"For example, it has markedly failed to report health outbreaks in other parts of the world, which might impact on Taiwan, to the WHO in sufficient time.

"The result of all this is that it has created a gap in the global health network. Taiwan´s territory is not adequately protected and, consequently, there is a possibility that diseases might merge.

"All this represents a potentially serious public health threat, not just to Taiwan but the rest of the world. My organisation, and others, is very concerned at this situation.

"Taiwan is a democracy and has proved its commitment to global health and it is for that reason that we fully support Taiwan´s efforts for, at the very least, observer status within the WHO."

Frank Lie, of the European Federation of Taiwan Health Associations,  said the WHO´s 60th anniversary offered a "timely" opportunity to finally welcome Taiwan into its fold.

Meanwhile, Taiwan´s Representation Office to the EU has sent an open letter to Dr Chan, appealing for her to consider its WHO application at its general assembly meeting in Geneva on 19 May.

The letter states, "Despite the WHO´s creed that health care is a basic human right and should heed no borders, Taiwan remains unjustly locked out.

"It its continued efforts to join the  WHO under the name ´Taiwan´ we merely seek to lend our support, knowledge and expertise in the ongoing fight to safeguard public health. Surely that is not too much to ask?"

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